This invention relates to protective headwear, and more specifically, to protective headwear suitable for use as a substantially hard helmet.
Numerous kinds of protective headwear have heretofore been proposed. Such headwear, for example, the protective helmet shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,133, issued Mar. 2, 1965, to Steffen, was often quite unconventional in appearance and objectionable for that reason alone.
Attempts have been made to provide combined dress and protective headwear, usually for children. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,384, issued Sep. 13, 1995, to I. Frothingham, a combined dress and protective hat was proposed which included a circular cap, constructed over a cruciform framework of protective elements. This device, too, differed greatly in appearance from conventional headgear, and revealed itself at once to be a specially constructed protective device.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,773, issued Apr. 15, 1986, I described two embodiments of a protective hat, specifically intended for infants and toddlers, which provided a conventional and unobjectionable appearance, while also comfortably providing a protective function. The hat of that patent was constructed using components made up of cores of resilient shock absorbent foam material, encapsulated in fabric shells.
In attempting to apply the principles of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,773 to protective hats for larger sizes, such as for children four years of age and older, adolescents and adults, it was found that simply enlarging the hat and providing thicker foam was not a practical solution. On the contrary, it has been found that use in the patented construction of core elements in excess of about xe2x85x9c inch in the thickness produced a hat difficult to shape to the head of a wearer, uncomfortable to wear due to poor ventilation, and difficult to fabricate. Therefore it was desirable to provide an easily manufactured protective hat suitable for use by older children, adolescents and adults.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,730 addressed this problem by providing a protective hat which comprised a head-receiving member which overlaid and protected at least the sides, top and rear of the head of a wearer, the head-receiving member comprising a core of resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam material and a shell of textile fabric, so constructed as to have the appearance of a conventional hat. The core was so configured and constructed that it readily conformed in use to the head of the wearer, and provided adequate ventilation while also providing enhanced impact protection.
In a preferred form of the headwear taught in this patent the head-receiving member was fabricated from three subassemblies, one an arcuate member which partly encircled the head of a wearer, disposed in the direction of the medial plane of the head, and side pieces which enclosed the sides of the head, preferably covering the temple, ears and a portion of the lower jaw of the wearer. Edge portions of the side pieces were complementary with and coupled to respective edge portions of the arcuate member. Together, the arcuate member and the side members formed a concavity adapted to receive the head of a wearer. The arcuate member and the side pieces had an inner core, comprising a layer of impact absorbent foam material, preferably of the closed-cell type, fully enclosed within a shell of textile fabric to give the article a conventional appearance and feel.
These prior art helmets were relatively soft helmets providing all of the advantages of soft helmets while avoiding the disadvantages of harder helmets, which can be heavy and uncomfortable next to the head of a user. However, it would be desirable to bridge the gap between hard and soft helmets and provide the advantages of each while avoiding the disadvantages of both.
A protective hat having shock absorptive and insulating properties includes a head-receiving member adapted to overlie and protect at least the sides, top and rear of the head of a wearer. The head-receiving member includes a core of resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam material and a shell of textile fabric material wherein the shell is constructed and arranged to fully enclose and encapsulate the core so that the hat has a conventional appearance and surface texture. The core is provided with first and second core layers. The first core layer is formed of a substantially soft closed cell foam material having a thickness of about xe2x85x9 to about xc2xe inch. The second core layer is formed of a substantially hard closed foam material having a thickness of about xe2x85x9 to about xe2x85x9c inch. The core has spaced holes therethrough distributed over the surface of the core to facilitate ventilation of the concavity. The core also has a plurality of slits therethrough wherein the slits are disposed between the holes to facilitate conformity of the core to the shape of the head of the wearer and to further facilitate ventilation of the concavity.